Hats off to volunteers at Tobermory Lifeboat Day
AFTER a week of wet and windy weather, the rain stayed away for Tobermory’s Lifeboat Day.
The hardworking organisers of Tobermory RNLI’s annual event were hugely relieved to awake on the morning of Sunday August 14 to find that the rain had finally stopped falling.
A few hours later, there were big crowds at the event being treated to a range of stalls, games and activities – and of course, the raft race which was won this year by the Tobermory Guides.
Even school children, who were no doubt dreading the new term starting in just a few days, had an opportunity to ‘sponge the teacher’ with local schoolteachers, Kirsty and Kirsten attempting to dodge the wet sponges being so enthusiastically thrown by some of their pupils.
During the final preparations the previous evening, the volunteer crew were called away to go to the assistance of a stricken yacht at the Bull Hole in the Sound of Iona.
The volunteer crew launched at 6.11pm to help the yacht, which was dragging its anchor and was unable to use its engine as it had overheated.
On arriving at the scene, the yacht had managed to get under way and was heading to the shelter of Tinker’s Hole.
The lifeboat escorted the yacht and once it was confirmed that it was securely at anchor and the skipper was happy, the volunteer crew headed back to Tobermory where the lifeboat was refuelled and made ready for service shortly after 10pm.
Following Lifeboat Day, Tobermory RNLI Coxswain David McHaffie said: ‘ We’re still gathering in the funds but we think that well over £4,000 was raised to help save lives at sea.
‘Thanks to everyone for their generosity and we hope you had as much fun as we did.
‘Thanks, too, to all the stall holders, businesses and individuals who so kindly donated prizes and things to sell, as well as to our colleagues from the Fire Brigade and Tobermory Coastguard who attended with their equipment. Thanks also to our hosts, the Tobermory Harbour Association.
‘ We’re also grateful, yet again, to Alasdair McCrone and Alasdair Satchell for their witty and energetic commentary.
‘Finally, we’d also like to thank our RNLI shop volunteers who took more than £700 on the day – and particularly our amazing fundraising branch who have been working and planning hard behind the scenes for many months to ensure that today was a huge success.’